Plane crash: Thugs storm Govt House, sack Deputy Governor

As doctors at the Yola Specialist Hospital battled on Thursday to save the life of Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State after he was involved in a plane crash, a band of thugs invaded Government House, Jalingo and chased out his deputy, Alhaji Garba Umar.

The invasion, which is now being probed by the State Security Service (SSS), is strongly suspected to be part of a plot to stop Umar from succeeding Suntai in the event that the governor did not survive.

At the centre of the SSS probe is a senator said to have instigated the attack.

Governor Suntai was widely rumoured to have died in the crash until the Presidency and the Ministry of Aviation, in separate statements, said he did not.

Umar, who was only sworn-in on October 5, was forced out of the Government House by thugs allegedly acting on the orders of the Senator.

Umar’s predecessor, Alhaji Sani Abubakar, was himself stopped from seeing the governor in the hospital by security agents.

Governor Suntai was transferred from Yola to the National Hospital, Abuja yesterday, wearing an oxygen mask. He was heavily bandaged.

A highly placed source who spoke on the Government House invasion, said: “Following the rumoured death of the governor, some thugs loyal to a serving senator invaded the Government House at about 11pm and unconstitutionally ejected the Deputy Governor from the place.

“They were shouting that under no condition would they allow the Deputy Governor to succeed Suntai who was presumed dead.

“Worried by the threat to his life, the Deputy Governor was ferried by security aides to the state office of the SSS in Jalingo.

“He slept at the SSS office overnight to avoid being killed. But a reinforcement of security around the Deputy Governor was effected on Friday to prevent further harassment against him.”

The source added: “We are investigating the alleged involvement of a serving senator in the illegal attack on the Deputy Governor.

“If the senator’s culpability is established, we will effect his arrest and trial.

“So far, it has been established that the senator has been at loggerheads with the governor. The suspect was opposed to how the immediate past Deputy Governor, Alhaji Sani Abubakar, was impeached by the Taraba State House of Assembly based on ‘cooked up’ allegations of gross misconduct levelled against him by the state lawmakers.”

Suntai was moved to the National Hospital, Abuja at about 2.08 p.m yesterday under tight security.

He was driven into the hospital premises in a State House Medical Centre Ambulance with registration number SH 576.

He was bandaged from head to toe and had an oxygen mask on his face.

He sat on a reclining chair in the ambulance.

A total of seven vehicles were in the convoy, many of them occupied by security operatives.

By then, reporters and photographers had positioned themselves at the entrance of the Accident and Emergency Unit.

But as soon as the security operatives sighted the newsmen, they diverted the ambulance to the back of the hospital.

At about 3.10 pm, President Goodluck Jonathan arrived the hospital to personally assess the governor’s condition.

He told reporters as he departed that the governor’s condition had stabilised.

He said: “First and foremost, we have to thank God for what has happened. Plane crash is not something you can just wave off. We are quite happy that the Governor is still stable and feeling well.”

“The doctors are working very hard on him. I believe that by God’s will, he will soon come out of it. But he is still in the hospital. No doubt about that. And the professor/ CMD is here. He can just say one or two things. Being a Governor, people are worried. They want to know his state of health.”

The Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Prof. Bala Shehu, said: “Just like the President said, he is very stable. Obviously, in the first 24 hours of any injuries, there are worries. There are very few worries. There are very few. So, we will continue to observe him for the first 24 hours.

“There is no need to do any operation on him. He is very stable. Given what happened, we are actually satisfied with the situation at the moment.”

However, a source in the hospital said the governor had neurological disorder from the crash.

It was gathered that four neuro surgeons were mobilised to assist Prof. Bala Shehu who is also a neuro surgeon to treat the governor.

“The initial care of patients with acute brain or acute traumatic lesions of the neck (cervical spine) is of paramount importance. Neurologic function of the brain and cord levels can be adversely affected by excessive motion. Ideally, treatment should start at the site of trauma.

“Safe and careful extrication, safe transportation and immobilisation in solid neck braces are crucial. Safe transportation is essential. These patients cannot and should not be moved without adequate protection and care.

Airway management and maintenance of spinal immobilization are important factors in limiting the risk of secondary neurological injury.

“Patients with brain or spinal cord injuries may have difficulty with breathing due to this and other injuries such as chest trauma. Early effective and efficient management is crucial to survival.

“Transporting patients to hospitals with the capability to manage these cases is vital and information about these hospitals should be widely available.

“Early diagnostic and clinical evaluations are important in determining the severity of the injury and making plans for subsequent management.

“Timely and appropriate imaging studies using x-rays, CT and MRI scans are essential. Hospitals must be able to offer early neurological evaluation, investigation, diagnosis and surgical management to the majority of patients.

“Prolonged survival has resulted from better understanding of the pathophysiology of cord damage, as well as from the advances in antibiotic and ventilatory therapy.”

On the availability of such surgeons in Nigeria, he said: “We have only about 30 neuro surgeons in Nigeria, which means one neuro surgeon is responsible for treating any epilepsy occurring in 5 million people.”

Journalists were not allowed close to the private ward of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Hospital where the governor was taken to.

Security operatives shoved and pushed the reporters and told them to steer clear of the ward.

One of them even threatened to “spoil” a reporter’s legs if he took any photograph.

Politics of deceit. By trying to ostracize the Deputy Govenor and thus prevent him from acting as Governor or Governor in the event of the passing away of the incumbent incapacitated Governor cannot wish away the constitutional provision which accord him the powers to do so. We must understand that the mixture of Muslims and Christians in our country is not by any bodys design. The earlier we put behind all this biases against any one simply on account of the religion he profess the better for the growth of the country . if it was the will of the supreme being that GEJ shall rule the country so shall it be in Taraba State.

Pls we should not continue to allow reliigion to form the basis of our analysis. You should read between the lines pls. They said senator who are at the logger head and this is talking about Sen Aisha who’s interest is d impeached governo sani danladi. She has never support or endorsed the present Dep Governor because they have confliicting interest. PLS STOP GIVING RELIGION A BAD NAME JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO HANG IT.

You shall not die my dear Governor Suntai, the mercy of God shall bring you back in Jesus Name. Amen.

hitman

Will he see survival as a second chance or will it be business as usual?

SAMPSON

I THANK GOD FOR STARTING THE LONG AWAITED PDP JUDGEMENT,YET THEY ALL THIS PDP THIEVES WILL NOT LEARN ANY THING,TODAY IS FLOOD AND TOMORROW IT IS PLANE CRASH,ALL OF THEM THAT ARE LOOTING THIS NATION WILL DIE MISERABLY BEFORE 2015 INCLUDING JONATHAN THE COMMANDER IN THIEF.

THIS PDP GOVERNMENTS IS THE WORST THING TO HAPPEN TO US SINCE OUR INDEPENDENT IN 1960,THEY HAVE SHALLOW OUR RICHES THEY WILL VOMIT ALL IN LIFE OR IN DEATH,SEE JOB 20 VS 15,EVEN THE SHEHU SHAGARI GOVERNMENT IS NOT AS CORRUPT AS THIS GOVERNMENT YET OUR MILITARY ARE STILL SLEEPING,THIS PDP CHOP CHOP AND LOTT LOTT GOVERNMENT AND IT LEADERS MUST ALL DIE.

Bmagli

My dear Samson, well said. This country has never had it so bad. Will the people always castigating the military, please stand up to be counted. It was never this bad under their rule. And don’t bank on the military you have now, because Jonathan has appointed ‘lilly livered’ service chiefs including ihejerika an in-law. How can you explain the fact that we have a Navy, yet the fed govt awarded a contract to an ex militant to secure our water ways for billions of dollars. And the chief of naval staff is playing dumb. Anyway, nobody says you have to be a star general to plan a coup. After all, Jerry Rawlings of Ghana was a lieutenant, when he took over. So over to you, the young officers in the army, we are looking up to you to save us from these gangsters & devils. There has never been this amount of looting, disasters and deaths. Do you know how much this country has lost in money terms and human lives? If you compare OBJ’s govt & this govt to that of the military, boy did we have a ball during the military. I thought the jingle for GEJ’s campaign was ‘………good luck to everybody’. Good luck indeed, What we are experiencing now is bad luck of the highest order. At least no one can put the blame on his political opponents. Maybe these are signs that you people goofed when you elected this dumb-ass. This is what you get for not seeing things in a wider picture, no thanks to sentimentalists.

Olulana

But the last time it was good for Nigeria was before independence, so we should go back to British colonial rule ehn? Even when canibalistic totalitarian Idi Amin Dada ruled in Uganda, certain people benefitted. You must have been one of the beneficiaries of past military despots.
Mind you, all the men ruling us today are still same Mark, OBJ, IBB of old military folklore. Say something else.

Frank

Nobody apart from Nigeria as a country benefited from the Buhari – Idiagbon remarkable rule in Nigeria. I hope you are evoking the same spirit. These criminals under the guise of politicians should be made to face the music the “Chinese way”.

prof

Our politicians are reaping what they sow.

Paul

So thugs can invade a Govt House and chase out a Deputy Governor? Where were the Police and other Security Operatives?

oye

i wonder oooooooooooo

pero

wish u quick recovery gov. But i wonder why u decide to pilot plane your self when u should have use the service of a professional pilot, at least u wld hv provided one job? while u concentrate on d task of governance but now——
And to d youth of Taraba, the constitution is there to settle who takes over dnt allow sentiment to be cloud your judgement.

While we wish the Governor very quick recovery, power vacuum must be avoided at all cost. The Dep. Governor must take over in acting capacity. There is no sentiment on an issue already settled by the Constitution.

holyman-Togo.

I pray God to heal him, but what about the other 5 people in the jet with him when the accident happened? are they alife or dead?
Holyman-Togo.

idris

Plz leave GEJ out this, I wonder why ppl hate dis man any time there is someyhing 2 comment jonathan name will comes up Naija watch it.

tunji

@ Idris, what are you saying? GEJE is the number 1 citizen, why wont people mention his name? Do you think presidency of a country is a tea party? He has to show leadership, if he can not he had better resign.

@ tunji, wat leadership i he suppose to show over these issue, pls tell us.

Benkay

I wish the governor quick recovery.
This hide-hide game, it seems there is more to it than meets the eyes. I pray that God should be merciful to all of us because the way things are going in this country we surely needs God’s intervention.

Anthony Iloegbunam

Dont always swallow my cments as its very bad of u nationnews paper. As good journalists, u must be the defender of truth and not against truth. Therev is still tomorrow and none of u that is enjoying today at the nation news paper will want his/her plight to be like that of First nation airline. Stop eating my comments.

Nyam

the governor broke all security and political protocol to be flying himself around.

it takes lawlessness and extreme arrogance, with unprecedented youthful exuberance to do such.

he shall get well, this is our verdict; but he has lost moral, ethical, medical and lawful grounds to continue in office. Taraba people should pls contend with having a new governor – period.

congratulations to Taraba state.

Month G

I pity dis great country of ours some people can’t even get 3 meals but someone is busy trainong how 2 pilot a plane. D people of his state who elected him n entrust him wt there money have no place to sleep cos of flood May God have mercy on our leaders can he maintan the plane after he leave power we shld shun away sentimeent ethinicty bad religious commen let’s us work as a team n build this country. If we continue like this we can never move any forward

tumi

“First and foremost, we have to thank God for what has happened………………..” says the president. Of course they are thanking God for the governor’s survival. What about the other 3 people or so that died? are the relative’s feelings mutual? or are they not born of humans? When shall we respect other people’s feelings?

Pita

How far is Yola from Jalingo?

Remi

When people refused to acknowledge GOD in their doing, they perish

PORTORPORTOR

THERE IS A BETTER AND MATURED CHOICE, ROAD TRANSPORT EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (RTEAN). THEY ARE PROGRESSIVES, UNITED, MATURE AND SUPER!